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Local Life

Focus: Washed in River Daze

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Call it a wash. Down came that rain and washed the murky, humid muck in the air away.

And like the song, it seems like “you can see forever more,” especially from the iconic shores of the Navesink down by Barnacle Bill’s. No matter how far a hometown Rumsonite or Fair Havenite roams, the riverfront always calls them back to hold them tight.

It’s never a fishing expedition. The line was cast long ago and the anchor never rusts. This one’s a diamond. Unbreakable, it glistens with magnetic light shining, calling from deep in the river’s sandy floor.

The precious anchor stone’s gleam reflects in that hometown kid’s eyes, offering the view no one else has. It’s from that river’s shores that, murk or not, that kid at heart can see more clearly every inch of beauty that’s always been there, yet still lies ahead. They look back while looking ahead to see those little big things that brought them there. Held them there.

Those things? They’re still holding … with soothing tightness.

Hold those thoughts and keep them … like a kid collecting shells down by the river.

Click on one photo in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy the view!

— Elaine Van Develde

The weather forecast …

Heatwave humidity and wildfire smoke has cleared. Here’s what’s in store with the weather in the Rumson-Fair Haven area through the weekend and into next week.

Local Life

Focus: River Time Front-Row Seat

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Sometimes the best front-row seat is the one that cradles your river time.

Wherever it is, front-row Rumson Barnacle Bill’s or docked, it’s that seat that offers a hometown view with heart. Even in the haze, the the clarity of what matters most is caught like an opening night bouquet tossed into the audience’s lap from the Navesink River’s scenic stage.

It’s a show without a ticket or playbill. Curtain’s always up, even if the lights are dim and no one’s in the house. That’s because it’s always your own show with a take-away that stays like pressed flowers from the best of times.

That front-row seat to river time always calls, offering river time its own sitting ovation — always bowing in, not out.

That’s the show that holds down by the river. Always. Take a look at the above photo gallery for a glimpse from the seat ... (CLICK on one photo to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde

The weekend weather …

Continue reading Focus: River Time Front-Row Seat →
Local Life

Focus: Solstice River Walk Solace

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It doesn’t have to be the longest day of the year to get the most out of the warmth of river time before the sun sets, calling it a day — a first summer day.

The day may be over, but the river time feeling is forever docked in the mind. The fair haven on the Navesink always calls. Rain never drowns the call. The lap. The lull. The gentle tide reaches out and tugs at our hearts to stay. And we do.

Any day is the longest day down by the river, because it’s an endless river walk in our Fair Haven.

Rain never washes away the footprint of time wrapped in home’s swaddling river tide.

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro exclusively

And there will be lots of rain this week, drenching the area, according to the National Weather Service. It continues through the weekend and into next week …

News

Weekly Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Travel Advisory

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This week’s Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge replacement activity remains status quo. It continues Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, weather permitting, with a few new notes to roadway and sidewalk users.

Monmouth County officials advise …

Continue reading Weekly Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Travel Advisory →
Schools Scene

Scene Around: RFH Girls Flag Football Champs

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They’re number one in more ways than one.

The girls who comprise the first Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Girls Flag Football team on Tuesday won their first sectional championship, making the team number one in the Shore Conference.

The final score was 26-13 in the RFH team’s win over Middletown High School South. With only two losses (8-2) in the season, the game that sent RFH to the Shore Conference was its win 17-6 over Pinelands in the semifinal.

So, the team, with Randy Kalman as head coach, basked in its winning first season as the girls savored that major win moment. Take a look at the photos above for a glimpse into the winning moment, courtesy of RFH mom Jenny Costello. (Click on one photo to enlarge and scroll.)

“Exciting day!!! First RFH Girls Flag Football Team are the Shore Conference Champs!! Great team and great coaches!!
The Bulldogs are just killing it all over!! 💜“

RFH alum and team member mom Jenny Costello

Flag football has become a popular sport in the high school arena, with 14 school teams competing this season. There’s talk of it going NJSIAA-approved next season. More are expected to join next year.

— Photos/Jenny Costello

Local Life

Focus: Riding with the River Tide

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Sometimes it’s just time to ride into the spring sun with the tide — down by the river, of course.

Now’s the time. When isn’t the time right, though? The bright light shows the way to the clarity of it all, though. The sun comes out, the water glistens and calls. The ride has begun. The ride into a tsunami of the simplest best of time-honored times at the Fair Haven Dock.

The dock may have changed over the years since Fair Haven’s existence, but the Navesink River it juts out to still plays the same part, ebbing and flowing with each ride down by its shores. Holding each ride with the times close. A piece of the dock etched indelibly.

The anchor is never lifted on the ride to river times. The moments stay. They will never leave. The sun is always there somewhere, casting its light on them. Always.

Take a look (click one photo to enlarge and scroll) and remember your time that stayed.

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde

There are some rainy days ahead, but the sun will return. Here’s the weather forecast from the National Weather Service …

Local Life

Focus: Branching Out with River Time Buds

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There’s nothing quite like branching out to a budding riverfront perspective — down by the Navesink at the Fair Haven Dock, of course.

Yes, spring has sprung. The buds are budding. And when it comes to seeing the river for the trees, the view is always the most flattering panoramic close-up of sunshine on an old friend.

It always smiles back and reaches out to hold with a tight hug. The buds on the trees branch out pulling you in to a new season, new day down by the river.

Happy budding river time 2023! (CLICK on one of the photos in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro exclusively

Here’s what’s in store for the end-of-the-week into weekend weather forecast …

Local Life

Focus: Hoppin’ Egg Hunt Classics

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In light of this past weekend’s onslaught of egg hunts, we’re taking you back again to the most classic moments in Rumson-Fair Haven area egg hunting …

Ahhhhh, the egg hunt! It’s known as the quickest event in any town all around the world — or at least the Rumson–Fair Haven area neck o’ the bunny hop turf.

The kids gather, baskets in tow. They smash themselves up against the “Egg Hunt Scene” tape. The tape drops. They scramble … for all of about three minutes of mayhem.

It’s a difficult event to photograph. You have to just hippity hop to it, keep clicking and hope you get a good few freeze-framed moments. Well, over the years, we have — gotten some priceless snapshots amid the mystical misadventure.

In Rumson, there has been a lot of flying, stumbling and seizing of the coveted eggs. In Sea Bright, where the event has been held on the beach, things have always been a little more calm, but anywhere from bizarre to classic adorable in photo captures, nonetheless.

Take a look back, laugh and remember the misery, mayhem and just plain cuteness of it all. Oh, and by the way, Fair Haven wins for the quickest of all egg hunts. We could barely get out of the car, camera in hand, before it was over.

But, we got Rumson and Sea Bright classics. These are our classic most popular pics from over the years … (Be sure to CLICK on one photo to enlarge for the full view and scroll. Enjoy and smile — or laugh a little!)

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde exclusively for R-FH Retro

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